For a moment, Eve Vaughn was at a loss. It occurred to her that Mason Lawson had never explained any of the things they were talking about. Of course, she had never asked, either.

’I must be too dependent on him, too trusting,’ she thought. That was why she felt that once she was safely back by his side, Mason Lawson would handle everything else. She wouldn’t need to worry about a thing.

Later, Regina Shaw had to get back to her lab, and Mia Kendall had scenes to film, so they both left.

Not long after, Mason Lawson returned.

Lately, aside from going to the company for meetings, he had been bringing the rest of his work home.

After all, Eve Vaughn’s kidnapping was no small matter, and he was afraid it might traumatize her.

In a way, he also wanted to make it up to her.

The moment Mason Lawson walked in, Eve Vaughn went up to him and asked, "Is there any news about my father?"

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "It’s not going to be that fast," he told Eve Vaughn. "There are no clues, so I’m basically looking for a needle in a haystack. You have to give me some time, right?"

Eve Vaughn scratched her head in embarrassment. "Oh, right," she said. "I’m being a little impatient."

Mason Lawson caressed her cheek. "By the way," he said, "I have to go to the study for a video conference. Be a good girl for the next half hour and don’t disturb me, understand?"

"Okay."

She nodded obediently.

Mason Lawson went to the study, and she found herself thinking about what Regina Shaw and Mia Kendall had said.

Even though she had been the hostage, thinking back on it now, Eve Vaughn realized she was still in a daze about the whole thing.

She’d been kidnapped out of the blue and rescued just as inexplicably. She didn’t know the real reason behind any of it.

’I was the victim here,’ she thought. ’Shouldn’t I have the right to know what happened?’

And so, half an hour later, Eve Vaughn went to the study.

Mason Lawson must have just finished his meeting, as he was closing his laptop.

She walked over to him, and he immediately pulled her onto his lap.

For the past few days, considering she’d been through a scare and needed to rest, he had only held her as they slept, not making any other moves.

But now, the young woman’s spirits had mostly recovered. That, combined with the fact that she was still so fragrant and soft, was beginning to stir a deep desire in Mason Lawson.

Eve Vaughn felt his stubble tickling her neck. She flinched and gave him a gentle push.

"Wait, Mr. Lawson, I... I wanted to ask you something."

Her soft, sweet voice made him pause.

Mason Lawson kept his head buried in the crook of her neck. "What is it you want to ask?" he mumbled.

Eve Vaughn said, "The people who kidnapped me... did they demand a ransom from you? I still don’t even know why they took me."

Mason Lawson had actually prepared an answer long ago. It was just that the young woman’s mind could be remarkably slow at times.

It had taken her days to finally think to ask this question.

Mason Lawson didn’t bring up Tanya Thorne. After all, he didn’t want Eve Vaughn to know that he had hesitated when it came to a choice between his mother and her.

So, he gave her the answer he had already prepared. "They just wanted to extort money. After all, they know you’re my sweetheart."

A smile bloomed across Eve Vaughn’s face. Clearly, she was very satisfied with that answer.

The young woman wrapped her arms around his neck, acting bolder than usual, and shifted to straddle his lap, facing him directly.

"Am I really Mr. Lawson’s sweetheart? His one and only?"

Her gaze was utterly innocent, but her position sent a rush of hormones through Mason Lawson.

The man suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer until the softness of her chest was pressed against him, separated only by two thin layers of fabric.

Mason Lawson’s lips brushed against her ear as he said, word by word, "Evie is my sweetheart, of course. My one and only."

Each word was magnetic, as rich and pleasing as the sound of a cello, pouring into Eve Vaughn’s ears.

In truth, her body did respond to Mason Lawson—and only to him.

They hadn’t been together in days, and now, as his hands caressed her and his warm breath ghosted into her ear, Eve Vaughn was already starting to unravel.

She whimpered softly in his arms, which only made the man’s desire swell to new heights.

But Eve Vaughn never imagined that he wouldn’t carry her to the bedroom. Instead, he swept everything off the desk, clearing a large, empty space.

"No, not here..."

The young woman pleaded with a whimper, still not comfortable with being anywhere but the bedroom.

But the man was already past the point of no return. He leaned over her, murmuring coaxingly, "Be good. Let’s just try it. If you don’t like it, we’ll go back to the bedroom, hmm?"